I first learned about this granola around 5 years ago when a friend from New York was visiting my sister at my house in DC. He had brought a bag of Early Bird Granola along, explaining that a friend in (Brookyln?) used to make this granola in her kitchen at home, and then she turned it into a business, and then Martha Stewart picked up the recipe, then the New York Times, and from there it pretty much just went viral.... today, this granola is all the rage among food bloggers. Molly Wizenberg over at Orangette has sung its praises. Also, Lottie and Doof. And for good reason. It's seriously the best granola I've ever had.

This week I've been hanging out on the island of Corfu, where they have a surfeit of rich, creamy yogurt. Luckily, I was thinking ahead, and made a big batch of this granola to bring with me for breakfasts. It's been absolutely perfect with fresh figs and large spoonfuls of the local yogurt. We've also been snacking on it here and there when we don't have chocolate around, or in the case of yesterday evening, when we were talked into buying baklava at a run-down, local grocery store, only to discover that the baklava had probably been sitting on the shelf for 6 months...

Gah. I should know better. Only the freshest of fresh baked goods for me.

Early Bird Granola Remix

This recipe is infinitely adaptable. The primary ingredient that makes this granola stand out is the use of olive oil as the base. The olive oil gives it a rich, flavorful base, and it also turns the granola into a light, crispy, crackly granola - no big, sticky chunks in this recipe. The maple syrup is also a necessity to balance out the olive oil with a delicious, natural sweetness. And then there are the coconut chips. I believe that this recipe is only properly executed with the addition of big coconut chips. Shredded coconut simply won't do; you have to have golden, crispy discs of coconut to balance the flavor and texture of the oats. But from there, it's fair game. The original recipe calls for pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, and they are indeed delicious, but I also always add poppy seeds, and usually some sort of dried fruit.

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 300 F /150 C.2. Mix together all ingredients, except the raisins.3. Spread granola evenly on a baking sheet.4. Bake for 40 - 50 min, stirring every ten minutes. Add the raisins 10 minutes before the end of the baking cycle. Watch the granola carefully so that it doesn't burn - you want the coconut chips to become golden brown, but not too dark.5. Let cool completely.